Anaheim Ducks Stanley Cup Playoff Preview

The Ducks will need to improve their firepower if they are to upset the NHL Odds in 2008.

There were some major differences between the Ducks team that lifted the Stanley Cup last season and the team that hit the ice when the new season began back in October. With both Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne sitting on the fence between returning and retirement for more than half the season, the Ducks had no choice but to fill their spots in case they did decide to fly the coop. With Niedermayer and Selanne’s futures up in the air, the Ducks likely weren’t an enticing choice for hockey betting fans looking to cash in on 2008 Stanley Cup odds.

Eventually Niedermayer and Selanne both decided to come back for at least one more season, giving the Ducks a stacked blue line and some much-needed firepower up front. Without Selanne finding the back of the net all season long, the Ducks registered the lowest number of goals out of all playoff teams. That may not have been the case if Selanne had played more than 26 games and Anaheim’s second-leading scorer Corey Perry hadn’t been lost for the season in early March.

If Anaheim’s goal shortage continues into the postseason it will likely be up to their defense and goaltending to lead them to another Cup. Jean-Sebastien Giguere started the season late due to sports hernia surgery and missed some games late in the season due to a bad back, but he still put up some of the best numbers of his career. Giguere set new career bests for goals against average at 2.12 and save percentage at .922. The former Conn Smythe Trophy winner was a stone wall at times during both of Anaheim’s recent runs to the Stanley Cup final, and he’ll need to stand on his head again to get Anaheim back there.

It definitely helps Giguere to have one of the most talented defense corps in the league manning the blue line in front of him. The Ducks have two former Norris Trophy winners in Chris Pronger and Niedermayer, and even when the dynamic duo is on the bench the defense is still strong with Mathieu Schneider, Francois Beauchemin and veteran Sean O’Donnell also on the blue line.

The Ducks’ history and their roster of veterans who know what it takes to win in the postseason has them among the favorites on the Stanley Cup odds. They’re even bigger favorites to win another Western Conference title on the NHL odds.